WHERE'S THE HYBRID? "09 DODGE RAM WON'T GET ONE FOR A WHILE.(NEWS)

Byline: J. P. VETTRAINO AND BOB GRITZINGER

The new 2009 Dodge Ram pick-up is loaded with genuine improvements, starting with aerodynamic and powertrain efficiencies that increase fuel economy 5 percent on average. What it doesn't have, at least initially, is the dual-mode hybrid powertrain arriving now in the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango sport-utility vehicles. That is at least a mild surprise.

Nor will the Ram debut with a next-generation diesel engine. Dodge promises both the hybrid and a new diesel "sometime after 2009, and given the market's sudden thirst for more fuel-efficient vehicles, a reasonable question arises: Why wait?

"It's kind of like trying to cover every bet on a roulette wheel, says Joe Veltri, Dodge director of truck marketing. "No one has the money it takes to cover every possibility at launch. If you want to execute a well-designed product with maximum quality, you have to set some priorities. We set our priorities, and we're pretty happy with the [Ram] product mix.

The new turbodiesel, being developed with longtime partner Cummins, won't be reserved for heavy-duty trucks. Dodge hopes to have the Ram's 50-state-legal diesel ready for showrooms before the hybrid.

"Every study we've seen suggests that in every other segment, buyers want hybrids more than they want diesels, Veltri says. "In pickups, they want diesels more than hybrids. I think that's a function of familiarity with diesel technology and a comfort level among truck buyers.

The Ram hybrid's powertrain will be essentially identical to that in the Aspen and the Durango: a Hemi and the dual-mode variable automatic transmission, with two integrated electric motors. Developed jointly by BMW, General Motors and former Chrysler ...